Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a) Medications and treatments shall be administered as follows:
(1) No medication or treatment shall be administered except on the order of a person lawfully authorized to give such order.
(2) Medications and treatments shall be administered as prescribed.
(3) Tests and taking of vital signs, upon which administration of medications or treatments are conditioned, shall be performed as required and the results recorded.
(4) Preparation of doses for more than one scheduled administration time shall not be permitted.
(5) All medications and treatments shall be administered only by licensed medical or licensed nursing personnel with the following exceptions:
(A) Students in the healing arts professions may administer medications and treatments only when the administration or medications and treatments is incidental to their course of study as approved by the professional board or organization legally authorized to give such approval.
(B) Unlicensed persons may, under the direct supervision of licensed nursing or licensed medical personnel, during training or after completion of training and demonstrated evidence of competence, administer the following:
1. Medicinal shampoos and baths.
2. Laxative suppositories and laxative enemas.
3. Nonlegend topical ointments, creams, lotions and solutions when applied to intact skin surfaces. Unlicensed persons shall not administer any medication associated with treatment of eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or genitourinary tract.
(6) Medications shall be administered as soon as possible, but no more than two hours after doses are prepared, and shall be administered by the same person who prepares the doses for administration. Doses shall be administered within one hour of the prescribed time unless otherwise indicated by the prescriber.
(7) Patients shall be identified prior to administration of a drug or treatment.
(8) Drugs may be administered in the absence of a specific duration of therapy on a licensed prescriber's new drug order if the facility applies its stop-order policy for such drugs. The prescriber shall be contacted prior to discontinuing therapy as established by stop-order policy.
(b) No medication shall be used for any patient other than the patient for whom it was prescribed.
(c) The time and dose of the drug or treatment administered to the patient shall be recorded in the patient's individual medication record by the person who administers the drug or treatment. Recording shall include the date, the time and the dosage of the medication or type of the treatment. Initials may be used, provided that the signature of the person administering the medication or treatment is also recorded on the medication or treatment record.
(d) Oxygen equipment shall be maintained as follows:
(1) Humidifier bottles on oxygen equipment shall be changed and sterilized at least every 24 hours.
(2) Only sterile distilled, demineralized or de-ionized water shall be used in humidifier bottles.
Note: Authority cited: Sections 208(a) and 1275, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Section 1276, Health and Safety Code.
